Existing cellular networks usually have network cells each comprising a base station located at a central position inside the cell, covering the area of the cell for communicating with mobile devices that may be inside the cell. Required data rates in cellular networks are constantly increasing, but today's cellular networks are planned such that interference is minimized between adjacent base stations. With such current mobile network concepts and existing systems it is difficult to cope with the very high throughput demand. As such, it may be desirable to increase data rates and/or other performance parameters in cellular communication networks based on an existing network structures.
One concept to achieve much higher throughput is the usage of cooperative networks. Cooperation in this regard means that several transceivers (e.g., base stations) can exchange data (e.g., relating to propagation conditions, channel, interference, transmit power, etc.) to optimize the transmission and/or reception to one or more transceivers (e.g., mobile phones). This optimization is usually done to improve quality of service (QoS), e.g., throughput or reliability, but also other optimization criteria can be applied. However, it is not economically viable to establish a cooperative network from scratch where an existing network—which is not designed for cooperation—is already in place.
WO 2010/060185 A1 discloses a method and system for identifying cell clusters within a coordinated multi-point network. The network and a mobile user device together determine a set of cells that is to communicate with the user device. In essence, this is done by selecting cells and base stations from which the user device receives the highest power. Base stations can comprise multiple antennas (e.g., for enabling spatial diversity), US 2011/0124345 A1 discloses a very similar method for selecting a base station or a cell clustering group to participate in communication with a user device. WO 2011/100672 A1 describes a system and method for receiving a channel state information reference signal. For this purpose, groups of network cells can be formed that interfere with each other.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.